‘Can I change my four-year-old daughter’s name? I hate how common it is.’

A mother posting on mumsnet, has asked if it’s “unreasonable” to change her four year old daughter’s name because the name – Esme – has become “too common”.

“My DD [dear daughter] is 4 years old and I gave her a name which, I thought, was very original as I hadn’t heard another girl called it in about 20 years,” she wrote.

“Only to find when she started nursery another girl called the same but spelt differently. DD [dear daughter] is due to start full time education in September and there will be 2 other girls with the same name so 3 in the class including DD [dear daughter],” she continued.

The mother added that the reason she is so upset by how common the name is, is because she herself struggled being one of five in her class with the same name.

“Totally hacked off and really upset by this. Maybe an over reaction but in the 1970’s I was one of 5 named the same in my class and vowed never to have my DC’s [dear child] live with the same. Now history is being repeated,” she wrote.

She finished the post asking for advice, asking if she was being unreasonable to change her daughter’s name before September.

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While the mother was evidently seeking approval, the responses were not so kind.

Many users believed that the decision was not up to the mother, but the daughter.

“I don’t think it’s up to you, surely it’s up to your daughter, it’s her name now, not yours! She might not care that she shares her name in the same way that you did,” wrote user @LadyLoveYourWhat.

“Are you crazy! She’s 4! You can’t change her name. Your DD [dear daughter] won’t mind being one of 3. She is her name now, it belongs to her,” wrote user @strawberrypenguin.

Others pointed out that there could be people with similar names wherever she goes.

“Don’t be ridiculous you can’t change a four year old’s name! How on earth would you explain that to her? What happens if you change it and then next year there’s a new girl with the same name? Or several girls with the same name in high school?” wrote user @AmazingPostVoices.

“Names come and go in popularity, if you change it now you can’t guarantee that she won’t be at school with other girls of the same name later in life, or that she won’t work with women with the same name when she’s older etc.” wrote @toyah66.

Many users pointed out that the name Esme peaked in popularity following the release of the Twilight book series in 2005, and the popular movie franchise that quickly followed.

Do you think it’s okay to change your child’s name after they’re born? Tell us in the comments.